With Rob Ford saying he will once again skip this year’s Pride Parade, Jonathan Goldsbie, Matt Gurney and Chris Selley get a little psychoanalytical. If that’s a word.

Goldsbie Somewhere, a little bit above this sentence, will likely appear a photograph from last year’s Pride parade. It will depict things that are colourful and flamboyant, and which possibly serve to challenge conventions of appropriate public dress. And somewhere, a little bit below this sentence (online, anyway), will likely appear comments from National Post readers. They will say things that are off-putting and repugnant, while accusing those portrayed in the above photo of the same. And into this cultural divide will again wade Rob Ford, who will again take the obvious side. Toronto Sun editor and former Ford inner-circler Adrienne Batra claimed yesterday that “Ford’s problem isn’t homophobia … His concern is that his participation in a Pride event, particularly the parade, will tick off his political base.” This has me recalling a joke I made during the election, in which I described Ford’s hardcore supporters as the inevitable result of every Internet troll banding together to form a political party. But just as online comments aren’t actually representative of the general thrust of conservatism, it must be pointed out that “naked ass chaps” aren’t especially representative of the march for gay rights; there are many, media-fed misapprehensions about the nature of the Pride movement. So to what extent do you buy Batra’s explanation for Ford’s reluctance?

Gurney Adrienne’s a straight shooter, and she hasn’t shown a reluctance to direct some of that fire the way of the administration since she left it. I have zero trouble whatsoever taking her at her word when it comes to her analysis of the mayor’s motivations. I guess that means I “buy it,” in J.G.’s words. That doesn’t mean, however, that I find it satisfactory. My own personal sense of the mayor is that he isn’t likely to be homophobic, and I don’t think much of those who equate skipping Pride with hating gays, but I think the mayor is showing some of the worst aspects of his political approach here. I don’t care if Ford marches in the parade or not, but for the love of God, do something. Raise a rainbow flag, give a little speech, throw some support behind a gay-straight alliance or an anti-bullying campaign. If done right it needn’t alienate the base, and to do nothing simply provokes a backlash. The mayor is all too stubborn, in all kinds of ways, for his own political good. He has a job to do and this issue is an irritant. Do something and it will largely go away. Not entirely, but the people who won’t be satisfied by some gesture are the people who won’t be satisfied at all. The mayor’s refusal to buy himself a little good publicity at minimal cost is far better proof of terrible political instincts than any form of bigotry.

[np-related]

Selley It is entirely plausible, I think, that he or his advisers might worry about being seen to capitulate to The Gay Agenda, or whatever people call it these days. It is less plausible that this would actually be a problem for Ford, who already has so very many problems — but politicians and strategists believe all sorts of conventional (or not so conventional) wisdom that happens to be wrong. But it is also more plausible an explanation, I think, than the idea that Ford is a raving homophobe. Expectations of the Mayor with regards to Pride have been dramatically downgraded to merely attending the flagraising ceremony. That would be a dead easy way to show goodwill toward the event without subjecting him to too much, uh, gayness. If he continues to turn such opportunities down, it’s a safe bet he and his people simply do not want him to seen expressing goodwill towards Pride. This allows social conservatives to do what they do best: Project social conservatism onto a politician who doesn’t publicly express it, vote for him and somehow not realize that they’re being used. It’s also possible — just possible — that we’re looking too hard for rhyme and reason in this affair.

Goldsbie The funny thing is that Batra is accusing the mayor of something arguably worse than homophobia. The notion that Mayor Ford is actually cool with gay people but actively plays the role of a bigot for the sake of advancing his own political career frankly makes him sound like a despicable human being. So I’ll be charitable and reject Batra’s apparent insight. This man has a history of casually homophobic and transphobic statements; a history of going out of his way to oppose any City of Toronto measure that has even a whiff of gay; and a history of not having ever demonstrated that he is capable of this degree of political calculation. If by some astonishing stretch, Rob Ford himself is not homophobic, he has long been taking direction from people who are. But I choose to believe that the simplest explanation is the correct one.

Gurney I reject, completely and totally, the suggestion that Ford is “playing the role of the bigot” by refusing to take part in Pride activities. You can psychoanalyze the man and his motives all you want, but what we have are the facts — the mayor refuses to attend the Pride parade, and in his first year in office, did not make another gesture of support to Pride. That’s what we have. If that is the new threshold for bigotry, then I’d suggest we’re all guilty of some measure of it, given that there are endless causes worth supporting that most of us don’t lift a finger for. There’s plenty enough to criticize the mayor for without needing to lower the bar of what constitutes bigotry so low that it fits the mayor’s inaction here. He can be shortsighted, and frankly wrong, without needing to be a bigot. I suspect most people get that, and overheated accusations of homophobia aimed the mayor’s way will energize his supporters far more than they’ll aid his critics.

Selley I know readers will be shocked that Jonathan chose — scientifically! — to come to that conclusion, so let me compound their shock: I have never been to Pride. This may well constitute negligence as a Torontonian, a columnist, a human being. Judge if you must, I just don’t dig on parades. Now, I’m not mayor. I agree Ford should go to Pride as part of his duties — if not the parade, then something else. But let’s face it: Ford’s conception of his job is unique in many respects. In just about every way, for better or worse, he is the same guy he was as a councillor. And that guy is not especially comfortable in big crowds of strangers who see the world differently than he does. That’s not much of a defence, and it isn’t meant to be one. But the barely contained glee with which people like Jonathan declare him a bigot makes me a bit sick. We get it. Y’all hate the guy. Why bother psychoanalyzing someone with so many self-evident flaws?

Goldsbie Glee? You think it makes me happy to believe this about our mayor? It’s just that, at this point, given the pattern in his many words and actions over the years, I’d find it intellectually dishonest for me to reach any other conclusion.

Gurney Yes. I think it makes you happy to believe this about this mayor. Not because it’s something you’d generally like to see from Toronto’s mayor, but because it fits your overall opinion of him and lends a delightful air of moral superiority to what is otherwise speculation and, more generally, political divergence.

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